The present invention generally relates to containers for packing and shipping goods and more particularly relates to containers that can be converted from shipping containers to display containers for displaying the goods packed therein.
Containers are typically provided for packing and shipping goods from a manufacturing location to a point-of-purchase location, such as a retail establishment. Such containers are generally formed from a one-piece blank of corrugated cardboard that is cut, scored and folded to produce a box or container having a substantially rectangular shape. After the rectangular-shaped container has been formed, one or more items are packed in the container. The container is then sealed and shipped to distribution centers and eventually to a final destination, such as a retail outlet. Once the container has reached the retail outlet, the container must be opened, such as by using a razor knife, and the items packed therein are removed from the container and placed upon display shelves.
There are a number of drawbacks associated with using conventional shipping containers. First, a significant amount of labor is required to remove the packed goods from the container and place the goods on display shelves. In addition, opening the containers may require a significant amount of effort and/or additional tools such as a razor knife or box cutter. Moreover, the containers must then be discarded, thereby resulting in a significant waste of material. On the other hand. if the containers are recycled, a significant amount of manpower is required to collect the containers and transport the collected containers to a recycling center.
Thus, there is a need for a combination shipping and display container that can be utilized to ship a plurality goods packed therein to a final location such as on a shelf or a peg hook. The container should be easily convertible into a display container at the point-of-purchase, thereby eliminating at least some of the extensive labor typically required to transfer packaged goods from the container to the display shelves. There is also a need for a combined shipping and display container that can be easily opened without requiring additional tools by providing continuous perforations through one or more walls of the container. Such a container should include a removable first or upper section that may-be torn away from the lower section along the perforations formed through the one or more walls so as to expose the packaged articles for display.
There have been a number of efforts directed to providing shipping containers that may also be used as display container. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,884 to Podosek discloses a carton that is used to both ship and display a plurality of articles. The carton comprises a single-piece blank cut and scored to include a top panel, a right side panel, a bottom panel and a left side panel foldably connected together to form a box-shaped carton having an open front and an open back. The carton blank also includes four front flaps, one front flap being foldably connected to each of the panels so as to close the open front of the carton when folded. The blank further includes four back flaps, one back flap being foldably connected to each of the panels so as to close the open back of the carton when folded. The left side panel and the front flap connected to the left side panel have a first perforated tear line. Similarly, the right side panel and the front flap connected to the right side panel have a second perforated tear line. The first and second perforated tear lines enable the carton to be severed along the tear lines to convert the carton to a display container for displaying a plurality of articles packed therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,371 to O""Neill discloses a shipping and display carton including an outer container and inner partition. The partition is constructed from a single cut and scored blank of corrugated paper board that is folded and erected to form a modified Z-type divider with three loading cells. The front wall of the outer container includes a perforated cutout that is removed for display purposes. Each divider panel of the partition includes a cutout that is compatible in size and shape with the cutout in the front wall of the outer container.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,728 to Sheffer discloses a shipping and display container that is formed from an integral piece of corrugated paper board. The container has a top that includes two opposing flaps allowing access to the interior space of the container for loading items therein. The two flaps are adhered to each other at their opposing edges when the container is closed and sealed for shipping. The items may be removed from the container by separating the top from the side walls at perforation lines extending generally at the outer edges of the top. The front of the container has removable portions that are integrally attached to the top so that a pair of windows is formed when the container is opened. The goods are accessible through the two windows as well as through the top of the open container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,042 to Ferreri et al. discloses a readily openable combination shipping and display carton. The carton is formed from a carton blank having a plurality of tearable lines of weakness such as perforations and/or dividing lines for defining a removable section. As least one removable panel or section is provided and may be removed by tearing along such lines of weakness. An opening for hand access to remove the removable section is also provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,206 to Morse et al. discloses a display carton comprising a one-piece blank that is cut and scored to form vertically disposed front, back and side panels and horizontally disposed top and bottom panels. A vertically extending partition is provided between the side panels and is attached to the front, back and bottom panels by lock tabs engaging slots formed through the panels. A continuous tear line is formed in the front, back, side, and top panels to divide the carton into a removable upper section and a lower section for retaining a plurality of upstanding packages therein for display purposes.
In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, a combination shipping and display container includes a unitary blank of material foldable into a substantially rectangular container for receiving one or more items packed therein.
The container preferably has a top wall, a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall, a first side wall and a second side wall. The container is desirably made of a corrugated cardboard material such as a B-flute corrugated cardboard material. One side of the corrugated cardboard is preferably laminated with a solid bleach sulfate paper that may form the outer surface of the container for receiving printed indicia thereon. The container also preferably has a line of continuous perforations extending across the rear wall. the first side wall, the front wall and the second side wall for dividing the container into a first or tear away top section and a second or bottom section. The perforations in the first and second side walls define respective curved slopes that extend between the rear wall and the front wall of the container. The top section of the container is removable from the bottom section of the container along the perforations for converting the bottom section into a display container for displaying the one or more items packed therein.
The perforations typically extend at least partially through the rear, front and two side walls of the container. The perforations formed :in the first and second side walls desirably extend from upper ends of the side walls toward the botton wall of the container. The perforations in the front wall are desirably proximate the bottom wall of the container and extend in a direction that is substantially parallel to the bottom wall of the container. The perforations in the rear wall are desirably proximate the top wall of the container. At least a section of the perforations in the rear wall may define a tab that is hingedly connected to the top wall of the container. The tab may be depressed for cracking the perforations in the rear wall that define the shape of the tab and to separate the tab from the rear wall.
The present invention further includes a method of converting a shipping container into a display container including providing a shipping container with one or more items packed therein having a top wall, a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall and first and second side walls extending between the front and rear walls, whereby the container has a line of continuous perforations extending across the rear wall, the first side wall, the front wall and the second side wall for dividing the container into a first or tear away top section and a second or bottom section. The perforations in the first and second side walls preferably define curved slopes that are substantially similar in appearance and that extend between the rear wall and the front wall. At least some of the perforations between the first and second sections of the container are then cracked and the first or top section of the container is torn away and/or removed from the second section of the container along the perforations for simultaneously opening the shipping container and displaying the one or more items packed in the second section.